If you want to upgrade your door set, these choices from Weiserlock are beautiful and very classic — they definitely have a retro feel to me. When you are out at estate sales and inside mid century houses, make sure to notice little details like this. I remember one sale about two years ago just down the street from me… the modern house had the most gorgeous door sets… identical throughout the house – quite similar to the Weiserlock Troy above, although smaller. I remember that the slightly smaller scale, the repetition throughout the house, and the great “hand feel” made them so special. I am sure I looked nutso, pausing among the frenzy to adore them.
In terms of finish – I need to pay more attention to what I see in vintage homes, but in general, I think there weren’t many choices. Go brass in the main house, chrome in the bathrooms. In a 40s house and for some reason – Capes, I think that crystal knobs are delightful. Little touches like this — like diamond earrings — can make our little boxes oh so delightful.
This post was originally published on June 30, 2008.
Thanks for the tip, Erik, I’ll do an update spotlight story! I agree — it’s really nice!
The basic design of what’s now called the “Troy” has been in production for decades. They were the original doorknobs on my house from 1954. The vintage knobs had simpler backplates, though.